Would You?
by WhoKnowsWhy
Summary: Claire and Kate discuss the men of the island and play a little game. I do not own Lost or any of the characters. Drat and double drat! Thanks to purplegoose and mrstater for their beta.


Would You?

_Claire and Kate discuss the men of the island and play a little game._

Kate saw her sitting there stretching her legs out in front of her, her hands spread across the round moon of her belly. Could Claire even see her feet? The midmorning sun was warm and Kate was thirsty. It was time for a break. Talking to Claire would be a nice respite from picking fruit and pointless bantering with Jack or Sawyer. Kate walked over and flopped on the sand beside her, pulling her water bottle out of her pack.

Claire smiled. "Morning," she said cheerfully.

Kate was amazed at how the Australian was always so pleasant. If she was the one pregnant and alone on this island Kate knew pleasant and cheerful would be among the last things she would be.

Claire was looking off down the beach, and Kate followed her gaze to where a shirtless Scott, or was it Steve, was bending over, tightening one of the ropes holding up his shelter. "Are you watching him?" Kate asked.

Claire blushed. "Oh, it's a game my friends and I used to play at the beach or the shopping mall. We'd pick a guy and say 'Would you?'. Then we all had to tell whether we would or not, you know...do it with him, in the right circumstances, of course."

Kate laughed, and her eyes went back to Steve, it was definitely Steve. A game sounded like a fine way to pass some time. "So," she asked Claire pointedly, "Would you?"

Claire grinned, "More observation is needed, but at first glance, nice legs, great bum...probably, yes."

Claire glanced around. Pointing toward the trees to where Boone stood, jeans slung low on his slim hips, arguing with Shannon yet again, she looked at Kate. "Boone," she said, "Would you?"

"Nope. Too young and pretty for me," Kate said. And too hung up on his sister, she thought to herself.

Claire laughed, "You aren't that much older than me!"

"So would you, with Boone?" Kate smiled.

"Yep," Claire said, shading her eyes to take another look, "He's sweet and pretty...smooth skin, those blue, blue eyes, that mouth, yeah, I would."

"Wow," Kate said, "You've thought about that one."

"Pregnancy hormones." Claire groaned. "I think about sex all the time. Haven't had it in months of course." She looked away, embarrassed.

She isn't the only one, Kate thought. Abstinence did make one conscious of all the possibilities, especially on the island with everyone living in such close proximity. It was only a matter of time. Someone was probably doing someone already.

Claire's giggle broke her thoughts. Kate looked up to see Hurley ambling down to the waters edge. She met Claire's gaze and laughed.

"Well," Kate asked, eyes sparkling mischievously, "Would you?"

"He's probably really sweet," Claire said, "It's a shame to discount him just because he's so..." she searched for a kind word, "large?"

"He does seem nice, and who knows, we stay here long enough and he might be skinny as a rail." Kate said, "But still, for now, I'd say no."

"Me, too," Claire said.

Just then Kate caught Sayid out of the corner of her eye. He stepped out of his shelter, walked to the waning signal fire and stooped down to stir and rekindle the ashes, then he went to the edge of the jungle and picked up several logs to add to the flames.

Claire watching too, read her thoughts and beat her to it. "Sayid," she said, "Would you?"

Kate thought of brown eyes and smooth brown skin. She remembered the look in those eyes when he had told her he didn't trust Sawyer with her. It wasn't something she let herself think about often. She felt a warmth spread through her body, and looked at Claire.

"Part of the game to be honest here, right?" she picked up a handful of sand and watched it run through her fingers, "Yeah, I would. What about you?"

She heard Claire's sigh. "Yesterday he brought me water without my even asking him. He always seems like he isn't quite sure what to say to me, but he's one of the only people on this island who looks me in the eye, maybe because he is avoiding looking at my bump," she laughed, but her eyes grew soft. "No argument with you here. I most definitely would. "

They sat quietly for awhile watching Sayid as no new objects of potential affection appeared. Then Claire heard Kate chuckle low in her throat.

"You're a little late for your morning swim today, aren't you Sawyer?" she called.

"Didn't know you was waitin' for me Freckles," the southerner drawled, "or I mighta been more timely."

Claire looked up just in time to see Sawyer's bare bum disappear into the waves. "That's more than I needed to see." she giggled.

"Wait until he comes OUT of the water," Kate said with a snort, "I've been there for that little party."

Claire watched Kate watch Sawyer. "So 'Freckles' is it? He calls me 'Mamacita'," Claire said, "Would you?"

Kate closed her eyes. Sawyer had been a delicious thorn in her side since the crash. He insisted they had a connection, and maybe they did. He looked at her as if he could see right through her, or at least through her clothing.

She had noticed that whenever she talked to him, she stood with her arms folded across her chest protectively. He on the other hand, would stand, especially if shirtless, open to her gaze, as if he wanted her to see all of him. She wasn't ready to admit the attraction so she answered sarcastically, "Maybe, if he had a personality transplant first. How about you?"

"He is nice to look at," Claire admitted, "So, maybe yes, but I wouldn't want to see him the next day.'"

"So he's one-night-stand not relationship material? That sounds about right." I might be able to deal with that, thought Kate, but there's no chance of it here.

Just then Sullivan tramped up. Pushing his glasses up on his nose he sniffed. "Have you two seen the doc? I'm all stuffed up, and my throat is sore, too."

Claire looked at him, wide eyed but instead of answering, she began to giggle. She managed to choke out "Would you?" and both she and Kate collapsed in a heap, laughing until tears came.

Sullivan stared at the two women for a moment, then shook his head and walked away to continue his search for Jack.

Claire finally caught her breath and sat up, holding her stomach. "If I laugh any harder, I'm going to have this baby right here!"

Kate was red-faced and breathless too. Suddenly, without warning, she erupted in a new burst of laughter. Claire looked up and saw the source. John Locke had just come out of the jungle and was walking toward them. Kate couldn't look at Claire. She couldn't even breathe. She couldn't remember laughing this hard in ages. Her stomach would hurt tomorrow.

"Knives," Kate managed to choke out, "I love a man with a sharp knife."

Their laughter was now drawing attention from others on the beach. Sayid was staring at them from the signal fire with an amused look on his face, and Locke had evidently thought better of his destination and changed course back into the jungle.

"Oh my God," Claire said, "I'm going to pee my pants. I've got to go. NOW!"

Kate got up to help her. They walked, as quickly as Claire was able, heads down, still stifling laughter, past Sayid and the signal fire and into the trees towards the latrine. Kate hung back to give Claire some privacy. She was leaning against a tree, letting her breathing return to normal and smiling to herself when Charlie walked by.

"Hi, Kate," he said, "Have you seen Claire around?"

Wanting to keep the game going, Kate shook her head. Charlie headed off toward Claire's shelter and Kate continued to wait for her. Claire came out of the trees a moment later.

"Charlie was just asking where you were," Kate smiled at her.

Claire looked down so that her hair hid her face.

"So, would you?" Kate asked, "With Charlie?"

They walked back out onto the beach. Claire sat heavily on the ground near the edge of the trees. She looked at Kate. "I don't feel that way about Charlie," she paused.

"Are you surprised?"

"No, not really."

"I mean, he's been so sweet. He's a really nice guy and all, and I know he likes me, but there's just no..."

"Passion." Kate finished for her.

"Yeah." Claire said.

Glancing back toward the signal fire Kate saw Jack, who had been accosted by Sullivan and was futilely attempting to get away. He looked in her direction imploringly, eyebrows raised. Kate turned back to Claire and found her staring at her with a strange smile on her face. With a sinking feeling, Kate realized what was coming.

"Jack." Claire said, "Would you?"

Oh, boy, Jack. All of Kate's muscles tensed. Unlike the pleasant warmth that flooded through her when she thought of Sayid's gaze earlier, recalling Jack's cool stare caused scorching heat that bordered on unbearable. There was something about a man who held himself so tightly. She wanted to be there when it finally let loose. She had tried imagining what it would be like with him, but never got past the kissing part. That alone was enough to send her to the waterfall, or into the ocean just to shock herself back into reality.

"Kate?" Claire was grinning at her, "I'll take that as a yes."

Kate looked around, but they seemed to have exhausted the supply of visible men for the moment. She turned back to Claire.

"I'd say we needed that."

"Needed what?"

Kate and Claire turned to see Shannon looking at them quizzically.

"Oh, just a little game.," Claire said.

"Yeah," Kate grinned at Shannon, "If you're nice, maybe we'll let you play next time."

"I'd like that." She smiled.

"Oh, would you?" Kate and Claire said together, as laughing, they made their way back down the beach.


End file.
